“In the beginning it’s just a whole lot of ice and a whole lot of getting your knee to get the mobility back,” said Shumpert. “Then after getting your mobility back, and just getting all the swelling and everything out of there, it’s all about building up your muscle.

Brian DiMenna

With Jason Kidd having problems with back spasms and Ronnie Brewer now nursing a dislocated finger, Shumpert’s return can’t come soon enough (I should note his return would be equally awesome if none of those things were true). Obviously, the Knicks will still have to hold down the fort for at least a month or so, but it’s nice to be off to such a solid start with the knowledge that a cavalry of Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert are waiting in the wings.

The Knicks’ hot start kind of made us all forget just how much this team is playing without, but the returns of Shumpert and Stoudemire have the potential to make a big difference, like making some kind of weird, one-sided trade in which you acquire two quality players for nothing.